Cable-railway crossing



0. VOGELQ Patented Apr. '7, 1891-.

(No Model.)

CABLE RAILWAY CROSSING. No. 450,117.

INVEyNTIjR. 9

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES VOGEL, or SANIFRANCISGO, CALIFORNIA.

CABLE-RAILWAY CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,117, dated April 7,1891.

Application filed May 9, 1887. Renewed April '7 1890. Again renewedFebruary 18 1891. Serial No. 381,813. (No model.)

Patented in England September 29, 1887, No. 13,194.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES VQGEL, of the city and county of SanFrancisco, State of California, have invented a Cable-Depressor for Useat Crossings Where Two Cable Railways Intersect Each Other, (for whichLetters Patent of Great Britain, No.13,194, dated September 29, 1887,were granted me,) of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to railways using the underground cable system ofhaulage; and it consists in a peculiar cable-depressing device, by theoperation of which one road may pass the grips attached to its cars overthe cable of the intersecting line, which otherwise would occupy thepath of said grips.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a sectional elevation of two subways at the point of intersection,made so as to include a side view of the whole of the mechanism of thedepression-pulley. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.

In both figures the same letters of reference are used to indicate thesame parts.

It sometimes occurs that the cable of a line cannot be permanentlydepressed by stationary pulleys below the path of a crossing-linesgripping attachments, because the cable is needed to propel the cars atthe moment they pass that point; but it may be temporarily depressed toaccommodate the passage of the grips of cars of a crossing line to beimmediately restored to its proper position when the crossing car haspassed. The herein-dc scribed automatic device is designed to accomplishthe desired result.

A is the subway of a line running, let us say, north and south; A, thesubway of a line running east and west, the view being taken at theintersecting point. The north and south line has the upper cable B,which isthe one to be operated upon, the cable B of the east and westline being permanently depressed at this point by stationary pulleys.

O O are depressing-rollers mounted on the upper ends of the levers DD,the lower ends of which carry the counter-weights E E. The

fulcrum of these levers is a shaft F, supported by and slightly turningin the bearing-boxes G, which boxes sometimes will be anchored in theconcrete walls of the subway or bolted to some part of the frame, asmost convenient. The levers DD will be keyed upon the fulcrum-shaft.

H is an upright lever, also keyed upon the fulcrum-shaft and placedthereon between the two levers D D. This lever will not extend below theshaft and carries no counterweight.

I is an inclined depressing-lever pivoted to the upper end of leverH andmounted on the wheels J at the rear end.

K K are a couple of round bars embedded in the concrete or masonry orfastened in any suitable way to the frame of the subway, as the casemay'be. They form a track for the wheels J to roll upon as they moveforward in the act of depressing the lever I. The lever I may betrussed, as shown, with truss rod 1' and brace i, riveted to the mainpart of the lever, as shown.

L L are fender-rollers mounted on upright spindles l, projected upwardon a slight inward angle from a firmly-fastened socketpiece M. Theoffice of these rollers is to receive the thrust of the cable as it ispressed over and down and prevent it being thrown from off thecarrying-pulleys N.

O is the grip of the car about to cross. It has at this point droppedits own cable and moves forward by gravity or momentum.

P is a roller secured to the grip-shank or other convenient place,either upon the grip or upon a separate frame pendent from the car, insuch manner as to bear against the under side of the slot-iron Q shouldthe upward thrust of the depressed cable tend to lift the car from therails, a matter quite possible with very light cars, but not likely tooccur if the cars be of average weight.

It is not absolutely necessary to employ two depressing-rollers or twofender-rollers, as shown in the drawings. ()ne of each will answer everypurpose in most cases. Both the depression-rollers and fender-rollersare held on their respective spindles by screwnuts, as shown.

The operation is as follows: The car ap- I preaching the crossing onusthave first dropped its own cable, when, still advancing by momentumor gravity, its grip gently strikes the inclined lever I at a pointmidway of its IOO length, and depressing it throws over the attachedlever H, turns the shaft F, and with it swings over and downward thelevers D D,

with the pulleys or rollers O G thereon se-' it strikes thefender-pulleys and cannot be. unshipped from its carrying-pulleys. I

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isas follows:

1. In underground cable railways, the cabledepre'ssor herein described,consisting, essentially, of the lever I, suitably supported at rear end,as by rollers running on a track or otherwise, lever H, pivoted thereto,shaft F, with bearing-boxes, lever D, with roller 0, and counter-weightE, the whole arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. In underground cable railways, the combination of the inclined leverI, supported by and moving upon a track at its rear end, and

suitable mechanism in connection therewith for the purpose described.

CHARLES VOGEL.

' Witnesses:

GEORGE PARDY, WM. P. DRUM.

"for depressing the cable, substantially as and

